Quick hits
SVC suspends spring sports through April 13
The Sierra Valley Conference, which area high schools Galt and Liberty Ranch are part of the six school conference, has suspended all of its spring sports until April 13 because of the coronavirus/pandemic, according to Commissioner John Williams.
Galt and Liberty Ranch field baseball, softball, boys golf, co-ed tennis, track and field and swimming teams. The two schools do not field boys volleyball.
Other high schools in the SVC, which is Division V, are Rosemont and Bradshaw Christian, both of Sacramento, El Dorado of Placerville and Union Mine of El Dorado.
On Tuesday, the California Interscholastic Federation and its 10 commissioners throughout the state – including Sac-Joaquin Section’s Mike Garrison – met to discuss going forward with spring sports. The CIF State postponed its decision until Friday, April 3.
Saints coach Sean Payton says he has coronavirus
New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton said Thursday that he has tested positive for the coronavirus.
His is the first known positive test within the NFL.
Payton told ESPN that he has no fever or cough but didn’t feel well Sunday, so he was tested the following day.
Payton, who led the Saints to a Super Bowl victory following the 2009 season, said he’s feeling fatigued but also upbeat.
“I was fortunate to be in the minority, without the serious side effects that some have,” said Payton, 56. “I’m lucky. Younger people feel like they can handle this, but they can be a carrier to someone who can’t handle it. So we all need to do our part. It’s important for every one of us to do our part.”
Rams release Todd Gurley
LOS ANGELES — The Rams said goodbye to running back Todd Gurley.
Gurley, a three-time Pro Bowl player who less than two years ago signed one of the largest contracts for a running back in NFL history, was cut Thursday, ending his fiveyear tenure with the team that drafted him in St. Louis and brought him to Los Angeles to become a star.
It was an unceremonious end for a player who was the NFL’s 2015 offensive rookie of the year, the 2017 offensive player of the year, and a key component for a Rams team that made it to the playoffs in coach Sean McVay’s first season in 2017 and the Super Bowl in 2018.
Gurley, 25, signed a $60 million contract before the 2018 season that included $45 million in guarantees. He had a salary-cap number of $17.3 million for the upcoming season and was due about $10.5-million in injury guarantees Friday, according to overthecap.com.
Gurley was once regarded as a marquee player for a franchise that returned to Los Angeles from St. Louis with intentions of making Gurley one of the top draws at new SoFi Stadium.
Broncos reportedly parting ways with QB Joe Flacco
The Denver Broncos are waiving former Ravens quarterback and Super Bowl XLVII Most Valuable Player Joe Flacco with a failed-physical designation, according to media reports.
The Broncos were expected to part ways with Flacco after they reportedly agreed to sign backup quarterback Jeff Driskel to a two-year deal Tuesday. Flacco started eight games in his lone season in Denver, posting a mediocre 48.7 QBR and 85.1 passer rating, before suffering a seasonending neck injury. Drew Lock was named the team’s 2020 starting quarterback in late December after a promising rookie season.
The Ravens traded Flacco to the Broncos a year ago in exchange for a fourth-round draft pick, which they used to select running back Justice Hill. Flacco’s replacement, Lamar Jackson, last season led the team to a franchise record for wins and was named the league’s Most Valuable Player.
MLS further suspends until May 10 due to pandemic
LOS ANGELES — Major League Soccer announced Thursday that it will suspend its season another four weeks, to May 10, a delay that figures to push the MLS Cup into December.
In a one-paragraph statement MLS, which a week ago announced a 30-day halt to the season, said the break was being lengthened “in accordance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidance to postpone events involving more than 50 people over the next eight weeks.” The CDC directive is part of a nationwide effort to stall the spread of the deadly coronavirus.
The MLS announcement comes a day after the second-tier USL Championship said it was lengthening its suspension to eight weeks to comply with Sunday’s CDC instructions. Major League Baseball has already pushed its Opening Day back to early May and NBA owners are reportedly bracing for a delay that could last until June. The NHL’s plan to resume play in early to mid-May may now be on hold after an unidentified Ottawa Senators player tested positive for the virus.